Page 52 of Wicked Flirt
She swallowed hard, wanting to believe but way too upset for a rational conversation. “I swear if you don’t let me go right now, I will never forgive you.”
He released her.
She went back to the kitchen, got some ice for her lip, and went back to work, pushing all the pain and anger down.
She finished the evening by handing out beads and her business card to everyone for any future parties or events they might have. No further job offers happened, but at least she had Nate. Maybe he had some kind of beef with Marcus, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t work with him.
She turned to find Marcus approaching, his jaw set, pure determination. Suddenly she was feeling so much more than irate jealousy. All of her previous doubts came flooding back. How well did she really know Marcus after three weeks of dating? Nate had warned her off:I just know what he’s done to other women. Her friends had warned her off too. She’d ignored them all because Marcus had been so gentle with her, taking great care to make her feel comfortable. And they’d shared things, really talked. Was it all just a ploy to draw her in, make her vulnerable, and then crush her? Maybe every woman was revenge for what his ex-wife had put him through.
Her mind was muddled, her nerves shot, all of her hurting. She couldn’t hold onto her righteous anger when she hurt this much. Everything in her screamed to put some distance between her and Marcus, but something held her there, some small part of her stupid heart that wanted to keep their connection.
Marcus grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.
Her heart raced, suddenly wary. “Where are we going?”
“To my office.” They passed Ellie on the way. “Office,” he barked at Ellie.
Marcus pulled Lexi into his office. “Have a seat.”
She ignored the order, staying by the door in case she needed a quick escape. The office wasn’t big, just enough space for a black metal desk, two folding chairs, and a file cabinet.
Marcus took a seat behind the desk, and Ellie took a seat in a folding chair in front of the desk.
Marcus looked to Ellie. “Tell her.”
Ellie turned to Lexi and spoke in a monotone. “I kissed him. It wasn’t mutual. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You can go now,” Marcus told Ellie. “Shut the door behind you.”
Ellie hustled out of the office, the door quietly clicking shut.
“Did you fire her?” Lexi asked. Her lip throbbed painfully when she spoke.
“No.” He paused. “I know what it looked like, but nothing’s going on. She misinterpreted our relationship, and I set her straight.”
She stared at him, the pain rising in her chest like a vise around her lungs. Her protective instincts kicked in, the need to distance herself so strong electric waves of energy coursed through her legs, ready to run.
Marcus spoke into the tense silence. “I didn’t even know she’d entered us in the contest. She shouldn’t have done that. It was supposed to be for the customers. I had them draw another couple instead.”
“She warned me away from you the first time we met. Obviously she wanted you for herself.”
“That doesn’t matter. Lex, you’re bleeding. Let me—”
“I’m fine.” She dug a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her lip.
“I’m sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you.”
She swallowed hard, wanting to forgive and forget, but now everything was colored with the warning from Nate, alarm bells going off in her head. “I spoke to Nate Kennedy about a job.”
“You got a job already? That’s great.”
“He warned me away from you too. You have quite the reputation.”
His brows drew together. “I don’t know why he’d do that. He’s a regular, but I don’t think I’ve ever said more than goodnight to him.”
Suddenly she knew why Nate’s name sounded familiar. Ellie had told her before that Marcus dated Nate’s sister and that Nate warned everyone away because his sister had tried to kill herself after Marcus dumped her.
“You dated his sister,” she croaked.
